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Only one game is synonymous with American football gaming: Madden NFL Football from EA SPORTS™. For more than a decade, Madden NFL Football has delivered the most authentic, most realistic football game an unmatched feature set, and level of detail. The dominance continues with Madden NFL 2003. With more depth and polish, faster gameplay, jaw-dropping graphics and animations, realistic player AI, and new play modes, Madden NFL Football remains the undisputed leader in authentic NFL football simulation.

In its 13th year, Madden NFL Football has perfected the art of authentic NFL football simulation. Its combination of jaw-dropping graphics and animations, realistic player AI, in-depth play modes, and truly innovative features is well-known. With a primary focus on in-game graphics and game play, this game looks great, sounds great, and plays even better! This season Madden NFL Football continues to establish why it is a top-notch interactive football experience.

Madden NFL 2003 is packed with new features including enhanced graphics, updated rosters and an all new Mini-Camp mode.

Even with the new features and the graphical facelift, there's no mistaking the rich engine of the demi-legendary Madden NFL series. The game even considers player weight and momentum before registering the outcome of a tackle.

Football freaks will welcome the return of such familiar features as player substitutions, fatigue and injuries. Even casual fans, though, will appreciate the updated rosters, which include the expansion Houston Texans and the new division alignments.

Any list of this year's improvements should begin with the excellent commentary delivered by Madden and Al Michaels, who react sharply and accurately to game situations with expert analysis.

Your options range from a quick tune-up in Mini-Camp to building a dynasty that lasts years in Franchise Mode. Scout for Rookie’s and evaluate Free Agents during pre-season, or create your own players.

New tackle animations and emotional cut-scenes emphasise big plays. Thanks to 300 new player faces, the generic look of seasons past is long gone. Madden NFL 2003 has enough snazzy improvements to make it a gotta-have sequel to last year's Madden.

The best gets better.

In its 13th year, Madden NFL’ is the undisputed leader in authentic NFL simulation. Its combination of jaw-dropping graphics and animations, realistic player AI, in-depth play modes, and the most innovative features is beyond comparison. With a primary focus on in-game graphics and game play, this is the best looking, sounding and playing NFL game ever. This season Madden NFL continues to establish why it is the definitive interactive NFL experience. Madden NFL 2003 includes the new Houston Texans and the new NFL divisional alignment.

FEATURES

Mini-camp - Features John Madden’s Cruiser Tour Bus traveling to all NFL cities to complete skilled tasks. Take control of players in practice gear and become an expert in all player positions in your ultimate goal to earn unique Madden cards.

NFL’s Best Commentary – The Monday Night NFL team of John Madden and Al Michaels handles commentary, with dynamic play-by-play and more analysis than ever before. Melissa Stark will also be reporting from the sidelines. New audio engine delivers appropriate commentary based on current game situation and player/team statistics. Greater use of on-field player sounds, including player banter, offensive and defensive audible calls, crushing hits and improved crowd reaction sounds.

New Game play Mechanics - Faster game speed; players follow through, making hits on people without the ball; tighter control with quicker animations and reduced player momentum; more finely tuned passing game; independent audibles for defensive line, linebackers, and defensive backs. Enhanced ground game with all new spin moves, stiff arm moves, and inside running; all new receiver moves and routes; improved screen plays and quicker play action; more intelligent pass coverage.

Create-A-Playbook - Customise receiver routes, player formations, and your team’s entire playbook. Create virtually any play imaginable and play it on the field immediately.

Franchise Mode Enhancements - Just as you can in the real NFL, you’ll evaluate and progress rookies, free agents and created players during a four- game pre-season; Export a franchise team to exhibition play; Rookie Scouting Reports serve as a new way to evaluate rookies. 30 years of player progression logic with full career stats and enhanced computer managed team logic for trades and drafting.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 12, 2002 – Football season officially starts today with the launch of Madden NFL’ 2003 from Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the best-selling football videogame. The ship date was moved up a day due to the high demand from consumers. Available on six platforms, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube, the Xbox’ video game system from Microsoft, the PlayStation console, Game Boy® Advance and PC, the Madden NFL Football franchise enters into its 13th year as the undisputed leader in authentic NFL football simulation. In its history, the franchise has sold more than 25 million copies including more than four million copies of Madden NFL 2002.

For the first time on the PlayStation 2 console, gamers can play Madden NFL 2003 head-to-head online with a Sony network adaptor.* Featuring an online lobby where gamers can meet, greet and chat, as well as download current player rosters throughout the NFL season, friends can challenge one another coast-to-coast in the most competitive football videogame available. On all of the consoles, Madden NFL 2003 features all-new commentary with the ABC Monday Night Football team of John Madden and Al Michaels, providing the most dynamic play-by-play and in-depth analysis ever. Melissa Stark will be reporting from the sidelines, while an all-new audio engine delivers appropriate game situation, as well as player and team statistics.

Two new modes will please everyone from the first-time Madden player to the most hardcore Madden NFL 2003 football fans. The innovative Mini-Camp mode allows players to join John Madden’s Cruiser Bus traveling to all 32 NFL cities to compete in fun and challenging mini-games. Gamers have the opportunity to take controls of players in practice gear and become an expert in eight positions while trying to earn unique Madden cards. The new Create-a-Playbook mode allows you to customize receiver routes, player formations and a team’s entire playbook for both offense and defense; allowing the gamer to create virtually any play imaginable and play it on the field immediately.

Madden NFL 2003 includes the expansion Houston Texans, the new NFL divisional alignment and new features in its signature franchise mode, making it the deepest such mode available. Gamers will also find dramatically improved graphics and presentation with new signature player animations like sidearm throws, gang-tackles, new high-emotion celebrations and cut scenes, more than 300 realistic player faces, animating 3D crowds and completely redone stadiums and fields that provide the most realistic playing environment possible. With new game play mechanics, the game speed of Madden NFL 2003 is significantly faster and features tighter control with quicker animations, an all-new interior running game and a more finely tuned passing game.

Debuting in Madden NFL 2003, EA SPORTS TRAX, showcases new songs from today’s hottest bands with songs throughout the game from artists such as Bon Jovi, Andrew W.K., Nappy Roots (featuring Marcos from P.O.D.), Good Charlotte, OK GO, Audiovent, (hed) p.e., Seether and Quarashi. Many songs from these artists can be heard in Madden NFL 2003 before their albums are available.

On PlayStation (PSOne) Madden NFL 2003 features updated team logos, team uniforms and the conversion of franchise mode to new NFL conference and division alignment as well as the official inclusion on the Houston Texans in Exhibition, Season and Franchise modes. The Game Boy Advance version has link play for head-to-head competition, full season stats tracking and scouting combine style Create-a-Player.

For the PC, Madden NFL 2003 includes many of the same great features as the console versions like mini-camp, but also has a unique player mode that allows the user to only execute plays given by the computer coach, an all-new mouse plus keyboard control scheme and online game play with quick tournaments, quick games, an online hero persona that you can build up and customize, and ranked match ups with more stat rankings.*

Madden NFL 2003, developed by Electronic Arts – Tiburon, one of the leading sports game studios in the country, is rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB and is available on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube, the Xbox’ video game system from Microsoft, the PlayStation console, Game Boy® Advance and PC. Consumers may purchase the game directly at the EA Store (http://eastore.ea.com) or by calling EA Direct Sales at 1-877/324-2637, for a suggested retail price of $49.95.

EA SPORTS (www.easports.com) is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world. Its top-selling franchises and games include FIFA Soccer, John Madden Football’, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® Golf, NHL® Hockey, Knockout Kings’, NBA LIVE Basketball, Triple Play Baseball’ and NASCAR Thunder®.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world’s leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, Electronic Arts posted revenues of more than $1.7 billion for fiscal 2002. The company develops, publishes and distributes software worldwide for the Internet, personal computers and video game systems. EA markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS’, EA GAMES’, EA SPORTS BIG’ and EA.COM. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

* For more information regarding the online capabilities of this product, go to http://www.ea.com/easports/articles/ps2online.jsp.